In August 2001 I was probably one of the first in the UK to put down a deposit for the Z4 however many months later, when asked to confirm the build specification, I decided not to proceed. I wasn't happy with the limited colour choices, and many features such as the multifunction steering wheel, sports seats, SMG were not available at that time. Plus I had mixed feelings on the looks.
But the major factor was that in the meantime I had upgraded from a Z3 2.8 auto to a 2001 M Roadster and I didn't know whether I would be happy in effectively 'downgrading' to the less-powerful 3.0-litre Z4.
Eighteen months later I'm now seriously considering the Z4 again. Rumours persist of an M Roadster based on the Z4, however currently the only high-power versions of the Z4 are those available from BMW specialist tuners such as AC Schnitzer, Alpina, Breyton, G-Power, Hamann, Hartge, Infinitas, Suljemani and so on.
For UK buyers, Norfolk-based Rossiters (AC Schnitzer) and Nottingham-headquartered Sytners Group (Alpina) have the most active presence and I made an appointment with Sytners to view and test drive the Alpina Roadster S.
Alpina uses the engine from its B3 saloon in the roadster. This has its roots in the venerable iron block M50TU which in 1992 was bored and stroked to create the S50 engine producing 286 BHP for the E36 M3. Alpina has since further bored and stroked it and with a red-line at 7200 revs it now pushes out 300 BHP. I'm not sure what this implies for servicing--can it be serviced by any BMW dealer or do you have to take the car back to Sytner Nottingham?
The transmission is manual only--so no SMG or Steptronic versions--and to encourage initial takeoff the gearbox has the ratios of the 3.0i coupled with the lower final drive from the 2.5i.
Paper comparisons<pre>BMW Z3 3.0i £26,930 2979cc, 231 BHP @ 5900, 300 Nm @ 3500, 0-62 6.3, 147mph<br>BMW Z4 3.0i £31,325 2979cc, 231 BHP @ 5900, 300 Nm @ 3500, 0-62 5.9, 155mph (limited)<br>BMW M Roadster £36,650 3246cc, 325 BHP @ 7400, 350 Nm @ 4900, 0-62 5.3, 155mph (limited)<br>Alpina Roadster £38,900 3346cc, 300 BHP @ 6300, 362 Nm @ 4800, 0-62 5.3, 169mph</pre>The Alpina Roadster
At £38,900, the base price of the Alpina Roadster costs £7,575 more than the standard Z4 3.0i. For that you get the more powerful engine, an Alpina bodykit, Alpina 18-in alloys and non-run flat tyres, plus interior changes. For another £3,950 you get 19-in alloys and a 'Lux package' of BMW options such as professional SatNav, CD changer, cruise control, Xenon headlights, etc. Taking the Lux version with other options such as Carver speakers, mirror options, and heated seats, you can easily reach a total of £45,000. Oh, plus another £900 if you want the special Alpina Blue paint finish.
Not keen on the white ALPINA on the front apron
Looks better when not picked out in white
Comparison with BMW bodykit
It's a pity you can't pick and choose the options within the base £38,900 package. After all, not everyone wants a bodykit--some might prefer a 'Q' car approach--and those who do like bodykits might prefer the BMW alternative which, including painting and fitting, costs about £1,800.
I like the Z4's 'Dutch barn' rear end and the BMW spoiler enhances this (car also has rear bodykit)
The Alpina spoiler tries to flattens out the hump. However, note the interesting line coming from the rear stop light
In particular I found the interior changes fiddly and over the top. I don't want to see Alpina logos everywhere and the stitching colours will clash with many exterior colours.
And whilst the standard Alpina alloys are lovely to look at, they are the same diameter and tyre width (18-in 255/35) as the Ellipsoid 107 and Composite 108 alloys on the standard Z4 3.0i. By comparison the M Roadster has 17-in 245/45, and those who tried the Z4 2.2i in the Lakes might be surprised to learn it was shod with 16-in 205/50 tyres! So do you need the 265/30 tyres of the Lux pack?
OK, so maybe they are quite tasty
Road Test
So for me, it all boils down to the engine. I'm not particularly interested in the other components, so is it worth spending an extra £7,500 on a more powerful engine?
Alpina reckons the Roadster S is the equal of the M Roadster. Salesman Ged Scanlon drove the first section of country lanes and showed the handling off. Yes, full marks, and extremely sharp turn-in, but as a passenger I didn't perceive any improvement from the already well-planted Z4 3.0i, even though the car was shod with the Lux pack alloys and tyres.
Unfortunately by the time the car was handed over to me we were on main roads. So I was left with mainly straight-line acceleration tests. Whilst the Roadster S is quicker than the standard 3.0i, it's not the equal of the M. On paper the maximum torque might peak higher than that of the M, but on the asphalt there's not the sheer range of torque that M Roadster drivers are used to, nor the surge of power. And to get the maximum from the engine you have to drive it to peak revs before changing gear.
Whilst the Alpina has slightly less quoted BHP than the M Roadster, the aerodynamics are better. Take into account as well that the Alpina has a lower overall gearing than the Z4 3.0i So which has the higher top speed?
Alpina quotes a top speed of 169 mph and in the BMW CAR tests at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground the Alpina speedo needle touched 160 mph before the end of the runway. I've driven that runway in my M Roadster and reached a maximum speed of an indicated 163 mph well before the Alpina Roadster. Unfortunately speedos are notoriously inaccurate and my 163 mph was 'only' an actual speed of 150 mph through the timing lights. Who know what the Alpina real speed was.
Overall my conclusion is thanks, but no thanks. It's a fine machine, but not for me. Maybe if Alpina offered the car unbundled so I could go for just the engine and alloys.
Tim
Thanks to Jules for comparison shots of the BMW aerodynamic package
Some more notes: Currently the Alpina Roadster is only available in Europe. The unibody is created and painted in Spartanburg and is then shipped to Europe where the car is assembled. There are plans next year to move the assembly to Spartanburg at which time it is possible the car will be made available in the United States.
According to Ged Scanlon, Sytner has 50 Alpina Roadster S models on order for the next twelve months, of which about 20 are already sold.
At some stage--maybe to coincide with the forthcoming 2005 facelift--I reckon BMW will make more powerful non-M engines available.
I love the subtle styling differences over the standard Z4 (which i like anyway) I saw one in the flesh at Gaydon which I had a good look around and this just confirmed my views.
car in town.. will keep my eye out for you.
